Romania has requested for the first time the activation of the European rescEU Mechanism. 273 Romanians evacuated from the Middle East arrived in the country on Monday.

The Romanian authorities have activated the European rescEU Mechanism for the repatriation of citizens, with Romania being the first country to request this since the creation of the mechanism in 2019. The flights were operated by the Polish company LOT, carrying 273 Romanians on board, including priority cases. The repatriated Romanians faced difficulties in getting home, with some waiting up to eight days to be included on the evacuation lists.

Oana Zoiu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Henri Coandă International Airport to talk with the repatriated Romanians from the Middle East. In total, over 1500 Romanians have returned to the country in recent days, through repatriation flights and commercial flights facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Romanians also consider available commercial flights, given the opening of new air corridors to Romania.